damn, where'd the time go?

Between knitting a beanie for my sister, reading for classes, doing actual work related stuff while at work and raising a kid, I keep running out of time to blog. Agh!

You see, it takes me an hour or more to compose a meaningful post so I like to do it when my head is totally with it. It's not been that way lately so that's why you all get quick links. ;)

But, I did hear this on the news radio station this morning, but I don't remember why. It's an old article, but I'm figuring it might actually be in court this week or something.

Debra Hobbs quit her job at the sheriff's office in NC after eing told to either marry her boyfriend, move out or quit. The not-so-bright sheriff stated, for the press even, that "he tries to avoid hiring people who openly live together but does not send out deputies to enforce the law." Yikes. Nnow I know why the ACLU was so eager to pick this case up.

The noncohabitation law has been on NC's books since 1805 (so has no premarital sex but I don't see them enforcing that one). Do they really think a 200 year old statute is gonna hold up in today's society? No, you say? Well, there always seems to be a Family Policy Council member on hand to add their ignorance into the mix:

"We think that it's good to have a law against cohabitation because the studies show that couples that cohabitate before they're married, that their marriages are more prone to break up, there's less stability in the marriage," said Bill Brooks, executive director of the conservative North Carolina Family Policy Council.

I can't say much because I know for a fact Virginia has this same law on our books (and I knew that without being told in the article). For heavens sakes, it's illegal almost everywhere to burn the American flag which is about 200 years old as well but yet we don't enforce it. Just a few years ago it was decided that flag burning was protected under the 1st Amendment. Of course it's under attack again, but I'm hoping even in today's political climate it will remain protected.

The difference between NC and VA is that the cohabitation law is actually enforced (3 dozen cases the article says) and the only one being challenged currently. I'm sure we'll be striking ours if NC does since we're neighbors and tend to follow the trend, not set it.